NBA Scouting Reports, Northwest Division (Part Five)October 24, 2008Overview: A young center and former top-10 pick who can’t be labeled as anything but a bust so far, largely due to constant injuries. Good size and length for his position, and has packed a lot of weight onto his frame. Doesn’t have great quickness or explosiveness. Uses his body well around the rim, which is the result of good footwork rather than size, since he lacked strength for so long. Displays pretty good touch from in close. Grabs a decent amount of offensive rebounds. Doesn’t have a very good jumper. Still raw on the offensive end due to his experience level. Has developed into a decent defender. Length makes him a good shot blocker, but he shows good timing too. Still has upside after declaring for the draft out of high school. Showed some really nice sparks in his second year with the Sonics, but has barely played at all since. Injuries won’t help his development. Whether he will ever come close to reaching his full potential is anyone’s guess.

Offense: A raw big man who shows some potential in different areas but has been seriously set back by injuries and a lack of playing time over the past few years. Gets quite a bit of his offense as a hustle player, but will get his fair share of chances in the post as well. Doesn’t possess much of a jump shot, and operates almost exclusively at the rim. Shows the willingness to operate with his back to the basket. Struggles to convert attempts around the hoop at times due to a noticeable lack of explosiveness. Will fight for position under the basket, and has gained enough weight to have a fighting chance at getting an easy look. Doesn’t have great polish on his post game, but shows a nice right handed hook. Has some craftiness to his game and will make an intriguing play from time to time. Will grab his share of offensive rebounds. Has lost two very important seasons to injuries. May not be able to progress as quickly offensively as he was going to. Could take his time off to develop his jumper. Needs to come back ready to work.

Defense: An adequate defender who doesn’t have the experience to show his true skill. Will come up with quite a few blocks. Has the length to make an impact by contesting shots. Doesn’t show great anticipation or timing just yet. Commits a ton of fouls. Needs to work on the fundamentals of post defense. Still susceptible to fakes. Decent rebounder. Could develop into a nice defender down the line. Will experience his share of growing pains. [Read Full Article]